Josh Berry’s win was one of the most popular that the Xfinity series has seen in some time. A late-model lifer coming up to the national ranks is a story that all drivers can’t respect and appreciate. Add to it that he brought the no. 8 to victory lane, and it’s a great story on all accounts.
Berry’s win raised even more questions about allowing a playoff waiver. Through seven races, him and Ty Gibbs have won races despite not running the full season. It’s because of this that NASCAR hasn’t granted either driver access into the playoffs. The rule for the Xfinity series playoffs is to win a race and be in the top-20 in points and have a win. After the seventh race at Martinsville, Gibbs sits no. 15 in points after three starts, while Berry is no. 17 after six. You would think that this means that they would have playoff spots right? Not quite.
Since they missed starts, and had no intention of running full-time, Gibbs and Berry have not been granted waivers for the playoffs despite being in the top-20 in points. This isn’t necessarily an issue with the playoffs themselves as much as it is with inconsistency.
Just about every year since the win-and-you’re-in system was brought to the Cup series in 2014, there has been at least one case of waiver issues. Many people forget about Denny Hamlin missing the Auto Club 400 in 2014 after having a piece of metal in his eye; but that’s because he won Talladega and got into the playoffs. While few remember Hamlin, everyone remembers Kyle Busch in 2015. After breaking both of his legs in the Xfinity opener, he came back after missing 11 races, promptly went on a tear in the summer, was granted a playoff waiver and won the freaking championship. That season is very polarizing in large part because most people think the title is illegitimate. That’s not to mention Kurt Busch getting suspended for an alleged domestic allegation, coming back and winning twice to nearly make the Championship as well.
What about 2016, the year the Xfinity series and Truck series implemented the Cup format? We all fondly remember Tony Stewart coming back from a broken back and getting that one last win; but who remembers Justin Marks winning Mid-Ohio for Ganassi? Surely he got a playoff waiver too right? Nope, tough luck. The only instance in 2017 was with Ryan Preece winning at Iowa. It was only his second start and he was no. 29 in points so I don’t have issues with that one. There was also Noah Gragson missing Pocono in 2018 because he was sick yet kept his playoff spot.
By now you should get the point. The full-time drivers get the benefit of the doubt when something happens, part-time drivers don’t. From an outsider perspective, that makes sense. Things happen, sometimes life gets in the way.
But why does NASCAR still say you need to run all the races?
All too often, NASCAR ignores that rule, so why keep it a rule. In my run through of the past issues, I left out one of the most unusual: Ross Chastain in 2019. After initially running for Xfinity points, Chastain switched after the eighth race at Charlotte. Despite winning Kansas before the switch, he had to win another race and get to the top-20 in points by the playoff break. He got to no. 18 five races later despite a disqualification at Iowa, winning Gateway to ensure his spot. That honor would be more impressive if not for the fact that only 16 DRIVERS over 20/23 races. What is the point of that run every race rule?
Do you really think that Berry and Gibbs couldn’t run the rest of the season if they really wanted to? Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gone on record saying he’s trying with all his might to get Berry a full-time schedule in Xfinity. With Marcus Lemonis coming in and offering Berry additional sponsorship, there’s a huge start towards that goal. On top of that, Earnhardt Jr. and Berry have a great relationship, so of course he’ll do all he can. As for Gibbs, it’s not like his car owner is his own Grandpa or anything. Oh wait… he is. If granted the waiver, of course they’d run more races.
The whole concept of granting waivers is a mess. It’s bound to create controversy and raise questions as to who does and doesn’t earn one.
Here’s what I would do if I was in charge: get rid of the run every race policy. We’ll keep win-and-in, but for the Cup series I’m moving it from top-30 to top-25. Only 32 drivers have run the full schedule in Cup, so you need to at least be fairly competitive aside from your one win.
I think that this policy gives you the most fair and reasonable playoff format NASCAR can ask for.
I know that this isn’t a unanimous take, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter. What do you think NASCAR should do regarding playoff waivers? Please feel free to leave a comment or tweet me @HBLoomis. Let’s talk racing!
Cover photo courtesy of NASCAR.com
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